Absorbents containing activated carbons

Abstract

The instant invention generally relates to absorbents containing effective odor absorbing amounts of activated carbon. The activated carbon-containing absorbents may also be formed in conjunction with a wide variety of adsorbent materials including bentonite, opaline silica and the like and are suitable for use as absorbents in a wide variety of absorbent application and are particularly well suited for use as animal litters. Such absorbent may also contain fluoropolymer dedusting agents and bactericides to form unique absorbent compositions with diverse properties and uses.

We claim: 
     
       1. An absorbent comprising an effective odor absorbing amount of an activated carbon and an effective amount of a water-swellable bentonite-containing material for use as an absorbent composition. 
     
     
       2. An absorbent according to claim 1 wherein said bentonite particles have said particles about 12\40 U.S. mesh and said activated carbon particles have a size about 20\40 US mesh. 
     
     
       3. An absorbent according to claim 1 wherein said absorbent contains at least 50 wt. % of a water swellable bentonite, at least 0.5 wt. % activated carbon and at least 0.01 wt. % of a fluoropolymer. 
     
     
       4. An absorbent according to claim 1 wherein said absorbent contains an effective amount of a bactericide. 
     
     
       5. An absorbent according to claim 1 wherein said absorbent has at least 50 wt. % of its particles in the 12\40 or 8\25 U.S. mesh range. 
     
     
       6. An absorbent according to claim 3 wherein at least one additional absorbent material other than bentonite is added in an amount between about 5 wt % and about 50 wt %, based on the total weight of said absorbent. 
     
     
       7. An absorbent according to claim 6 wherein said additional absorbent material is selected from the group consisting of zeolites, fullers earth, attapulgite, montmorillonite diatomaceous earth, absorbent organic polymers, cellulosics, opaline silica and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       8. An absorbent according to claim 1 wherein said litter contains an effective amount of an additive selected from the group consisting of colorants, pH-control agents, clumping agents, desiccants, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       9. An absorbent according to claim 3, wherein said absorbent comprises between about 0.5 wt. % and 5 wt. % activated carbon, between about 50 wt. % and about 99 wt. % sodium bentonite, between about 0.01 wt. % and about 0.1 wt. % polytetrafluoroethylene polymer and between about 20 ppm to 300 ppm of an aliphatic bromo-nitro-bactericide in which the bromo and nitro groups are carried on the same carbon. 
     
     
       10. An animal litter having liquid absorbency for animal urine and containing an effective odor controlling amount of activated carbon, an absorbent material for animal waste material comprising sodium bentonite and an effective dedusting amount of fluoropolymer. 
     
     
       11. The animal litter of claim 10 where said fluoropolymer is a polytetrafluoroethylene and where said animal litter further contains an effective amount of a bactericide. 
     
     
       12. The animal litter of claim 11 wherein an additional absorbent material is selected from the group consisting of montmorillonite, opaline silica, zeolites, fullers earth, attapulgite, diatomaceous earth and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       13. An animal litter according to claim 12 containing at least 50 wt. % of a clumping sodium bentonite capable of agglomerating upon wetting into a clump of sufficient size and of sufficient clumping strength for physical removal of the clump from the litter, said clump capable of being removed from the litter box as a wet clump or after drying at room temperature. 
     
     
       14. An animal litter according to claim 10 wherein said bentonite-containing material consists essentially of a clumping sodium bentonite. 
     
     
       15. An animal litter according to claim 10 wherein the animal litter has at least 80 wt. % of the particles in the 12/40 U.S. mesh range. 
     
     
       16. An animal litter according to claim 10 wherein the animal litter has at least 80 wt. % of the particles in the 8/25 U.S. mesh range. 
     
     
       17. An animal litter according to claim 10 wherein at least one nonclumping or poorly clumping absorbent material is added in an amount greater than 50 wt. % based on the total weight of said animal litter. 
     
     
       18. An animal litter according to claim 17 wherein said animal litter contains opaline silica as said nonclumping absorbent material and contains an adhesive binder for forming a clumping animal litter therefrom. 
     
     
       19. An animal litter according to claim 18 wherein said adhesive binder is selected from the group consisting of guar gums, hydroxymethycellusose ethers and carboxymethyl cellulose ethers. 
     
     
       20. An animal litter according to claim 10 having improved odor absorbency for use in a litter box and having a size suitable for use in a litter box and capable of agglomerating upon wetting into a clump of sufficient size for physical removal of the clump from the litter box. 
     
     
       21. The animal litter of claim 20 wherein at least 80 wt. % of the animal litter has a particle size for use as an animal litter selected from the group consisting of U.S. mesh size distributions 12/40, 8/25, 8/30, 12/30 or 16/40. 
     
     
       22. An animal litter comprising between about 0.5 wt. % and about 5 wt. % activated carbon, between about 95 wt. % and about 99 wt. % of one or more particulate base materials, between about 0.01 wt. % and about 0.1 wt. % of a polytetrafluoroethylene polymer and between about 20 ppm and about 300 ppm of an aliphatic bromo-nitro-bactericide in which the bromo and nitro groups are carried on the same carbon. 
     
     
       23. An animal litter according to claim 22 comprising about 1 wt. % activated carbon and about 99 wt. % sodium bentonite. 
     
     
       24. An animal litter according to claim 22 wherein said particulate base material is selected from the group consisting of sodium bentonite, montmorillonite, attapulgite, zeolites, opaline silica, diatomaceous earths and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       25. The method of selectively removing liquid animal wastes from a weight of animal litter comprising: contacting the animal litter of claim 10 with liquid animal waste thereby producing a clump comprising the animal litter and the liquid animal waste that is of sufficient size and of sufficient strength to be removed from the litter and the remaining amount of litter; and   removing the clump from the remaining amount of litter as a wet clump or after said clump has dried at room temperature for a period of time, thereby removing the liquid animal waste from the remaining amount of litter.   
     
     
       26. The method of selectively removing liquid animal wastes from a weight of animal litter comprising: contacting the animal litter of claim 22 with liquid animal waste thereby producing a clump comprising the animal litter and the liquid animal waste that is of sufficient size and of sufficient strength to be removed from the litter and the remaining amount of litter; and   removing the clump from the remaining amount of litter as a wet clump or after said clump has dried at room temperature for a period of time, thereby removing the liquid animal waste from the remaining amount of litter.   
     
     
       27. A litter box comprising a water-impermeable receptacle having disposed therein the animal litter of claim 10 capable of agglomerating upon wetting into a clump of sufficient size and of sufficient clumping strength for physical removal of the clump from the litter box and absorbing litter box odor. 
     
     
       28. A method for manufacturing an activated carbon-containing absorbent comprising the steps of 1) blending an effective amount of activated carbon and an absorbent material;   2) adding an effective dedusting amount of an aqueous solution of a fluoropolymer to said blend as such dry blend is mixing.   
     
     
       29. A method according to claim 28 comprising the additional step of: 3) adding an effective amount of a bactericide to said dry blend as such blend is mixing.